If you don’t have a steamer basket (or you don’t feel like creating extra dishes), this steamed cauliflower recipe is for you. All you need is a head of cauliflower with its leaves still attached. No special equipment necessary!

Just place those leaves in a pot, pour in enough water to come halfway up their sides, and then steam your cauliflower florets right on top of the leaves. The leaves act as a little life raft for the florets, keeping them fully lifted out of the simmering water. You can do this on the stove or in a microwave-safe bowl.

Jump to the recipe to hit the ground running or read on for a bit more on this method.

cauliflower leaves at the bottom of a pot

A few steamed cauliflower tips

Choose your own adventure: microwave or stovetop

The steamed cauliflower recipe in this post gives instructions for stovetop as the default. But if you check out the note at the end of the recipe, you’ll also find microwave instructions. Both versions use the same cauliflower leaf technique.

To eat the leaves, or not to eat the leaves, that is the question…

I’ll be real with you: I personally do not save the leaves afterwards, and I never will.

Some recipe writers claim that cauliflower leaves are edible—but having tried them, I am deeply skeptical of this perspective. They are one of the most fibrous, unpleasant, bland vegetables I have ever tasted.

I am a big fan of the florets, but can’t stand the leaves. If you love them, that’s cool, but if you dislike them as much as I do, feel free to toss them. They’ve done their job in helping you steam perfect cauliflower florets and they can rest in peace.

If you’re thinking of buying a steamer basket, but you’re short on space:

I don’t own a steamer basket, and that’s because I have a tiny kitchen. But I do have a heat-proof collapsible silicone colander. Because it’s collapsible, it stows away easily. And because it’s made of silicone, its handles bend inward. That means it’s easy to use as a steamer basket, since the handles don’t get in the way.

With this particular technique I rarely need to use my makeshift steamer basket, but it’s nice to have around. Just make sure you get a cheapo one with floppy handles so it fits inside your pots and pans.

More veggie steaming

Alton Brown’s broccoli steaming technique inspired this cauliflower steaming method. I have a post about steaming broccoli this way, as well as a post applying this technique to asparagus. It’s very versatile!

Steamed Cauliflower (without a steamer basket)

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See note below recipe for microwave instructions*

Total Time: 7 minutes

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower, leaves attached
Salt
Butter (optional)

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Instructions

Trim the leaves off your cauliflower, saving them.
Prep the florets: Use a paring knife to separate each floret. Cut the florets into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
Evenly distribute the leaves in the bottom of a small saucepan. Place them hollow-side-down, so they look like little hills (rather than little bowls). The saucepan you choose must be narrow enough that the leaves cover the whole bottom.
Pour water into the saucepan so that it comes halfway up the sides of the leaves. Do not add the florets yet. Bring to a simmer over high heat.**
Once simmering, add the florets, cover, and reduce heat to medium or medium-high. Cook for about 4 minutes, just until the cauliflower is tender (test by inserting a paring knife or fork to see how much resistance there is).
Lift the florets off the leaves and discard the leaves.*** Sprinkle the florets with salt and top with dabs of butter (if using) and enjoy.

Notes

*If you want to use the microwave instead:

Prep your cauliflower and leaves as described in the recipe above (steps 1 and 2).
Place the leaves in a microwave-safe heat-proof bowl hollow-side-down. Pour water into the bowl so that it comes halfway up the sides of the leaves.
Place the florets on top. Cover with a heat-proof plate.
Microwave for about 4 minutes (this will vary by microwave), until the cauliflower is tender.
Lift the cauliflower florets off the leaves and discard the leaves. Sprinkle the florets with salt and top with dabs of butter (if using), and enjoy.

** Don’t just let it simmer away or the water will evaporate. Add more water if you let it simmer too long before covering.

*** Cauliflower leaves are technically edible, but in my opinion way too fibrous and tough to enjoy. Here we’re just using them to keep the florets out of hot water.

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